Burns & McDonnell Sales Innovation
A discovery and strategy initiative that identified barriers to collaboration and knowledge sharing across Burns & McDonnell's global business units.
Project Snapshot
Burns & McDonnell
Engineering & Construction
Jan 2023 - June 2024
Product Consultant
Data Analytics, AI/ML Tools, Survey Platforms, Interactive Dashboards
Stakeholder Research, Strategic Planning, Data Analysis, Innovation Frameworks
Myself (Product Consultant), Graham Bode (Strategy Lead), Joshua Cockrum (Internal Stakeholder Liaison), plus support from the Raidiant research team
What It Was
A discovery and strategy initiative focused on identifying barriers to collaboration, knowledge sharing, and sales effectiveness across Burns & McDonnell's global business units. The project aimed to uncover high-leverage opportunities for operational alignment, efficiency, and cross-functional innovation as the company scales to over 20,000 employee-owners.
What I Did
- Conducted 35 stakeholder interviews across diverse business units, roles, and seniority levels
- Led synthesis of qualitative data using design thinking methodology
- Mapped friction points across vertical (individual unit) and horizontal (cross-unit) operations
- Co-developed the "Solution Launchpad" and prioritization frameworks to convert research insights into actionable initiatives
- Delivered a strategic roadmap with two recommendation paths: a participatory innovation workshop and a tactical data infrastructure initiative
- Partnered with internal and external leads to align business needs with user motivation and technical feasibility
Research insights dashboard interface
Interactive insights and problem mapping tool
What Came Out of It
- A detailed insight map of over 100 operational and strategic challenges affecting collaboration and sales
- A set of 10 prioritized "Solution Launchpads" to spark innovation aligned with business goals
- An interactive data explorer, private AI chatbot, and behavioral analysis tree to support ongoing internal use
- A phased roadmap for scaling collaborative tools, data-driven decision-making, and cross-practice sales enablement
What I Learned
At large organizations, strategy and execution often drift apart. This project reinforced the importance of surfacing both ability blockers (processes, tools) and motivation blockers (culture, incentives) to drive meaningful change. I also deepened my skills in large-scale stakeholder research, pattern synthesis, and designing frameworks that bridge bottom-up user needs with top-down strategic goals.
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